Statistics from the vigilance department reveal that four education officers and officials were caught red-handed by the vigilance team while accepting bribe from the complainants in the State since January this year.
Critics opined that several projects under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan are being conducted in the Government schools and department statistics indicate that some department officers indulge in corrupt practices while monitoring the scheme and giving utilisation certification to the school officials.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manikant Mishra said that acting on complaint received from Narsan (Haridwar) block based government primary school principal and Roorkee resident Deshraj on October 26, he had deputed inspector Surendra Singh Bisht to verify the complaint.
In his complaint, Deshraj said that Rs 2.91 lakh was sanctioned under SSA for the construction of the principal’s room and a girl’s toilet in the school which were duly constructed. After the completion of these works, he was to get utilisation certificate signed by the SSA officer and BEO.
The BEO OP Verma reportedly demanded five per cent share of the total sanctioned money, which comes to Rs 15,000 from Deshraj for signing on the utilisation certificate. In his preliminary investigation, Bisht had reported in favour of the principal. Based on this report, Mishra formed a team of inspectors SS Bisht and Harish Mishra.
Along with two district administration representatives, these inspectors laid a trap and arrested Narsan BEO OP Verma red handed while taking a bribe of Rs 10, 000 from the school principal in Haridwar district on Tuesday. Verma was produced in the court on Wednesday and sent to jail, he added.
In another case, a complaint regarding bribe in admission process was received from Udham Singh Nagar resident Harkesh Singh after which a vigilance team in Haldwani sector laid a trap and arrested the principal of Government Inter College Gajraila, Bazpur red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 10, 000 from the complainant.
Acting on another complaint received in Haldwani, the vigilance team had arrested BEO office junior assistant Neeraj Arya and block resource coordinator Bhagwan Singh Bora while accepting bribe of Rs 50, 000 (Rs 25, 000 each) from the complainant. In his complaint, Haldwani resident Harish Chandra Singh Rawat had said that the Rs 50,000 bribe was demanded for ‘adjustments’ in categorisation of schools to benefit his his wife, a teacher in the Government high school.